In the midst of the swirl of bad news around Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations, he’s for the most part, remained quiet. But one enterprising reporter was able to get a scoop – and it came from an unlikely source. Stacy Brown, a reporter from the Black newspaper The Washington Informer, didn’t have to camp outside Cosby’s house or stalk him. He just called him.
“To my surprise he answered the phone, yes,” says Brown. “I’d say he was in a good mood. He didn’t act like he had a care in the world.”
Brown talked to him at first a year ago, and says that Cosby remembered him before he even gave his full name. Brown says he knew Cosby wouldn’t answer any questions about the allegations, but figured he might be able to get some comment from the legendary comedian.
“I had a goal,” Brown says. “He’s been married 51 years. I wanted to know how his wife was [doing.] No one’s was asking about Camille Cosby. How’s she doing? One thing about the Black press – especially The Washington Informer – is positive news. We stay away from the scandal. We were affording him an opportunity to speak to an audience or a news organization that’s not going to inject opinion.”
Brown says that Cosby’s statement that he expected the Black press to stay neutral has somewhat been taken out of context.
“I didn’t get that he was asking things of the Black press or the Black media in particular. He knew he was talking to a Black man. I think if he’d been talking to the white media, his message would have been similar. His message was just one of fairness.”
After Brown’s story ran and was picked up by the mainstream media, Cosby’s lawyer, John P. Schmitt, issued a strongly worded statement.
“On Saturday, the New York Post published an article by Stacy Brown indicating that Bill Cosby “broke his silence” Friday in a discussion with Mr. Brown. Various media outlets have reported on the story with the headline “Bill Cosby Speaks Out.”
EXCLUSIVE: Reporter Who Landed First Bill Cosby Interview Talks To The TJMS was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
